Poverty Barometer reveals pressure on basic needs in Moldova
Data from the Poverty Barometer, published by the charity Secours Populaire Français together with Ipsos, paints a bleak picture: people in Moldova are cutting back on the most basic necessities.
As many as 52% of residents said they were forced to feel cold in their own homes last winter because they did not turn on the heating. Another 62% said they had sacrificed their health by refusing necessary treatment because they could not afford it.
The Poverty Barometer also found that 39% of respondents had skipped meals, while half said they had been unable to meet their children’s basic needs. These figures show that poverty is no longer only a question of reduced comfort, but of food, heating, healthcare and children’s welfare.
Leisure has been hit even harder. Some 71% of respondents said they had given up going to cafés, cinemas and other venues, while 75% of parents said they had cut back on family activities.
Moldova was among the countries where people most often described their financial situation as unstable. Some 55% of respondents said unexpected expenses could have a negative impact on their finances, while 65% cited insufficient income as the reason for their financial insecurity.
The Poverty Barometer therefore points to a society where many households are surviving by giving up heat, treatment, meals and basic forms of family life. For a country whose authorities regularly speak of development and modernisation, the figures are a stark reminder of how far those promises remain from everyday reality.
